The Weakness of the Princess
by Spankbending
Summary: Azula takes a more hands on approach to recruiting Ty Lee for her mission, and finds herself feeling very differently about her friend. WARNING: SPANKING! Sexual undertones/dialogue, no explicit content.
1. Never Pinker

Azula walked into the circus grounds. She was embarrassed to be here, and normally she would never degrade herself to walking in a lowly peasant circus. As the Fire Princess, it was beneath her, but she was here for a very special purpose. Her father, Fire Lord Ozai, had given her a top priority mission; to retrieve her traitorous Uncle Iroh and her sham of a brother, Zuko, and bring them back to the Fire Nation. To prison. Her first attempt had gone well, but failed. She had underestimated her Uncle's cunning, and even worse, she underestimated the stupidity of common soldiers.

Fortunately, the person Azula was looking at now was anything but common. Standing upside down and balancing herself on nothing but her pointer fingers, she stood apart from her family of identical sisters. Nowhere in the world was there a person more agile, more nimble, or more acrobatic. And, as far as non-benders go, there were few as deadly. If only she shared Azula's killer instincts, she would be the most dangerous assassin in the world. Unfortunately, she was a cheerful, silly little girl; the girliest of girly. Yet her skills were too valuable to ignore, despite her glaring character flaws.

And, she was Azula's friend, or at least as close to a friend as she ever had.

"Ty Lee, could that possibly be you?" Azula teased.

"Azula!" came a voice that sounded as if it belonged to a songbird. With her uncanny grace, Ty Lee transitioned from her finger-stand into a polite, respectful bow. But as soon as the formalities were through, she rushed forward and embraced Azula. And though she would never admit to it, Azula hugged her back without prodding.

"It is so good to see you!" the girl exclaimed.

"Please, don't let me interrupt your..." Azula found a rare moment of fumbling, "whatever it is you were doing." Ty Lee happily rolled onto her stomach and arms, and then rolled her legs forward, stretching each leg over her head in measured strides.

Azula could no longer ignore her disdain for Ty Lee's current occupation. "Tell me, what is the daughter of a nobleman doing here? Certainly our parents didn't send us to the Royal Fire Academy for Girls to end up in...places like this." And as if the world decided to side with her, a platypusbear laid an egg as an exclamation mark.

Attempting to get that image out of her head, the princess continued. "I have a proposition for you."

Ty Lee's expression of joy disappeared. She clearly wasn't interested in any of Azula's propositions. _Too bad. She'll come with me anyway. _

"I'm hunting a traitor. You remember my old fuddy-duddy uncle, don't you?"

"Oh yeah! He was so funny!"

_Why does everyone think that?_

"I would be honored if you would join me on my mission," Azula said in a tone that sounded pleasant, but was laced with enough of a commanding undertone that Ty Lee would know she wasn't making a request.

"Oh, I, uh, would love to," Ty Lee responded, quite flustered. "But the truth is, I'm really happy here. I mean, my aura has never been pinker!"

"I'll take your word for it." _So she thinks she's got an option? _Azula laughed to herself. _I guess she's been with the circus so long she's forgotten who I am. Still, I can play her little game._

"Well, I wouldn't want you to give up the life you love just to please me!" the princess continued in her false sweetness, but Ty Lee smiled. Clearly, Azula was becoming _too _good at acting kind; or perhaps Ty Lee was so incredibly dull-witted that she actually couldn't catch her lack of sincerity.

"Thank you, Azula!"

_What should I do to get her to obey me? _Azula debated. _I suppose I could sabotage her show and let her see how important this is...for her sake. Then again, that would take some time, and Zu-Zu and Iroh travel farther every day. I need something quicker. She needs to learn that I don't take no for an answer. _

Azula looked at Ty Lee, who was lifting her leg up so that her toes were touching her fingers. Her pink, baggy pants were now hugging her curvacious bottom. For some reason she couldn't quite explain, the Fire Princess found herself unable to look away from it; it was mesmerizing.

And the solution hit her like a herd of stampeding Komodo Rhinos.

_Yes, she does need to learn a lesson, _she repeated. _And I will teach it to her!_

"Oh Ty Lee," she called out.

"Yes, Azula?" came her sweet, cheery voice.

"I regret that you won't be coming with me. I have missed you terribly," Azula attempted to lie, although as she said it she realized there was more truth in that than she was comfortable with. "I was hoping I'd get the chance to travel with you, and hang out just like the old days."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Azula," Ty Lee lamented as she broke away from her exercises. "I've missed you so much too!"

"Well, since you aren't coming, can we at least go inside and catch up on things?" Azula returned to her act, manipulating Ty Lee to the most advantageous position for her plans.

"Absolutely!" Ty Lee beamed. "Come inside and make yourself at home!"

The Princess followed Ty Lee into her tent, which was rather spacious, and to Azula's disgust, somehow more pink than her clothes. There was a large cabinet with an assortment of costumes, ranging from wild and crazy to an entirely different kind of exotic. Ty Lee was fond of showing off her body, and Azula couldn't blame her; Ty Lee was every bit as pretty as she was acrobatic.

"Take a seat," Ty Lee invited, and Azula did so while Ty Lee moved a desk over to use as a table. "Make yourself comfortable, and I'll find us some snacks."

Azula sat down, which, conveniently, was exactly the position she wanted to be in. Getting _Ty Lee_ in the position she wanted her to be in would probably prove to be a little more difficult. But her mind was made up, and once Azula made up her mind, it took a failure of monumental proportions to get her to change course.

"I have some fire flakes to tide you over until I can get some real food," Ty Lee said cheerily, bending over to place it on the desk. _Well, I'll never have a better opening than this, _Azula mused to herself. She stood up, hooked her foot around the leg of the chair, pulled it closer, and grabbed Ty Lee's braid, bringing it down with a sharp tug.

"Azula!" Ty Lee yelped, "That hurts! Stop it!"

_I'm sure I'll be hearing that a lot in the next few minutes, _Azula observed. She lifted Ty Lee off the ground and placed her face down across her thighs. She pressed her left hand, still holding Ty Lee's braid, into the small of her back to restrain her. Swiftly, she fit her thumb inside the girl's pants and roughly pulled them down her legs, revealing a matching pink pair of panties. The panties were tight enough to show off the exact form of her cheeks, giving Azula plenty to target.

"Hey, Azula, what do you think you're doing?" Ty Lee screamed indignantly at the Princess.

"I would think that was obvious, Ty Lee," Azula answered in a patronizing, offhand way. "What do _you _think I'm doing?"

"Well, based on our unique positions, I have a good idea, but surely you wouldn't _dare_ do what this looks like!"

"Oh, I _dare_," Azula poisonously assured her soon to be victim.

Ty Lee's eyes went from anger to fear, widening at the realization that Azula wasn't playing with her. "Azula, you can't be serious!" she said with a tone that made it obvious she was only hoping what she said was the truth, and didn't believe that it was.

Azula drank in Ty Lee's increasing hopelessness. _This is worth it and I haven't even started yet, _she said to herself. "I am dead serious, Ty Lee," she corrected with a menacing grin. "Nobody disobeys the Firelord's daughter. I could have you thrown in prison. Or worse. So unless you want to _really _be punished, you better stay still and let me be _merciful_."

Azula watched the words sink into her friend, and once again reveled at her reaction. Ty Lee was starting to shiver, almost involuntarily, but showed no sign of struggling. Still, Azula wanted to make sure Ty Lee was going to be contrite: given her unique chi-blocking abilities, she could cause her serious problems if she wanted to. She needed a perfectly submissive Ty Lee.

"Do you understand me?" she asked menacingly.

Ty Lee gulped and nodded, hesitantly. "Yes, Princess. Of course I'll accept your mercy." She then turned her head away, compliantly staring at the floor.

"That's a good girl," Azula mockingly comforted her, lightly rubbing Ty Lee's left buttock as she did so. Her bottom was soft and cool, and Azula couldn't help but feel a little excited touching it. This surprised her, but she assured herself that she was merely enjoying her dominance and nothing else.

Azula raised her right hand high into the air, carefully aimed, and...

SMACK!

A well placed slap on the left side of Ty Lee's bottom caused the girl to tremble, but she said nothing. Azula aimed another swat at the right side, and again Ty Lee shook, but made no sound. Azula followed up with a flurry of six swats, alternating sides with each one. The silence broke as Ty Lee let out a whimper of pain, and her calves shook in response.

SMACK! SMACK!

Ty Lee gasped from the increasingly harder slaps Azula gave her, and Azula smiled. She measured another swat to the right side, causing another whimper, but the next swat on the left finally got the result she was looking for.

"Ow," Ty Lee breathed, trying to maintain her composure but finally showing weakness.

Azula wasted no time picking up the pace and the intensity at this first verbal admission. Many more followed, with an "OW!" or "OUCH!" following almost every reverberating smack. Those slaps that didn't earn a verbal response were followed by more whining and whimpering. _How pathetic_, Azula thought to herself as she continued to spank her "friend" in earnest.

"Azula, please stop it!" Ty Lee screamed. SMACK! "OUCH! Azula, it's enough!"

"I'll decide when it's enough," Azula responded, and gave her a good, hard swat for emphasis.

"OW! Azula, please!" Ty Lee begged, but the princess only answered with still harder smacks.

"OW! Okay! OUCH! Azula I'll, OW! ...go on your, OUCH! MISSION WITH YOU! OUCH!" Ty Lee managed to get this out in between the swats and her crying. Azula gave Ty Lee a few more slaps for good measure, and then stopped and folded her arms, looking at the back of Ty Lee's head.

_Hmm, I _suppose _I should stop here, since I got what I wanted, _Azula admitted, but soon she was pondering another option. _Then again, this really wasn't much of a punishment. She's just obeying me to get me to stop spanking her. That's not _real _submission._

As Azula contemplated this, Ty Lee had started to get up from her position, lifting herself with her hands on the edge of the chair. This angered Azula, and she gave another pair of hard spanks to Ty Lee's posterior.

"OUCH! Azula, I said I'll go!" Ty Lee argued. She looked at Azula, and Azula could see thin lines of tears coming out of her eyes. She was clearly trying to maintain her dignity, but Azula could see that she was on the verge of sobbing wildly.

"Did I say you could move yet?" Azula said in a fierce accusatory tone.

Ty Lee winced and desperately answered, "No, Princess, I just thought you were done."

"Maybe I am," Azula retorted. "But don't do anything until I tell you to, got it?"

Ty Lee nodded fiercely but stayed put.

"Get back down, now!" Azula ordered, and Ty Lee instantly obeyed, placing all of her weight (which wasn't much) upon Azula's thighs.

Azula returned to her thinking. _Well, she is learning quickly. Perhaps the spanking was sufficient after all. _Azula looked at Ty Lee's bottom again, assessing the damage. The orbs had a nice pink glow on the sides, but most of the space where Azula's hand had connected were covered by the panties. Azula wondered what Ty Lee's bottom looked like under the fabric, and imagined herself rubbing and spanking her friend's bare bottom.

Azula's eyes closed as she daydreamed about this, only for her to stop abruptly. There was no denying it this time; the excitement over spanking Ty Lee _wasn't _just about her being in control and Ty Lee submitting. She could feel her nipples hardening and a slight wetness in her womanhood. _Am I getting turned on by this?_ Azula thought. _Definitely,_ she answered herself.

Well, that settled the issue of whether to continue or not. As selfish and domineering as she was, she wasn't about to let herself receive sexual gratification from Ty Lee. Somewhere, deep inside her, behind all of the arrogance and self-assurance, she had a genuine connection with Ty Lee and Mai, and she couldn't bring herself to continue this procedure. This had crossed the line of discipline and was now bordering on rape.

Azula opened her eyes and saw Ty Lee laying almost perfectly still, not moving, although her head was angled to try and look at her chastised bottom. Azula followed Ty Lee's line of sight, and was surprised to find that Ty Lee was rubbing her right cheek with her hand, trying to soothe the pain.

Azula forgot all about being turned on. Now, she was just furious.

"DID...I...SAY..." she began, pouring venom into every syllable, "that you could rub your bottom?"

Ty Lee's eyes went wide in shock. "No, Azula, you didn't, but it hurts so much..."

"Clearly not enough, since you still don't respect my authority!" Azula roared.

Ty Lee was able to twist her body so that she was facing Azula, and tried to defend herself. "No Azula, I do! I'm sorry, I didn't ask, I should have, but I'll stop! I promise!"

"You _will_ be sorry after I'm done with you!" she threatened, and she raised her hand back into position.

"NO! Azula, please, don't spank me anymore!" Ty Lee pleaded in utter horror.

Azula's response was another firm slap on Ty Lee's backside. "OW!" she yelped. "NO! Please, Azula, please! OW!" Another swing of Azula's hand produced another cry of pain. Ty Lee was no longer able to maintain her composure and reached her hand back to protect her backside from further assault.

"HOW DARE YOU!" shrieked Azula, irate that Ty Lee would fight her after her threat to imprison her. She grabbed Ty Lee's wrist and forcefully bent it into a hammerlock before pressing it between Ty Lee's shoulder blades. Ty Lee showed no discomfort at this (not surprising, considering her flexibility), but as Azula gave the next few hard swats she could feel her victim's arm trying to shield her target. Azula pressed harder into her spine, and then growled.

"THAT'S IT, TY LEE!" Azula stomped the ground as she said this. "I've been forgiving to this point, but it's clear that you do not know your place! I will no longer show mercy. Now I'm _REALLY _going to spank you!"

Ty Lee started to sob loudly as Azula grasped at her panties. She hesitated for a moment, but then violently pulled them down to Ty Lee's knees, exposing the bare flesh. Azula saw the effects of her previous spanking: Ty Lee's cheeks were marked with a cloud of pink, though the centers were a brilliant shade of scarlet.

"AZULA, NO!" Ty Lee screamed. "This isn't okay, put them back up!"

"Oh, hush," Azula scolded. "I saw your bare butt plenty of times at the Academy."

"Azuuulaaa!" she whined, but protested no further. And Azula barely gave her a chance to. She was once again slapping the poor posterior of Ty Lee, working faster and harder than she had been earlier. Azula wasn't trying to make Ty Lee submit any more; this was punishment for refusing to submit. And Azula would never let that happen again.

She rained swat after swat after swat on Ty Lee's bottom, and kept a firm grip on Ty Lee's right hand to hold her in place. Spanking was easy enough, as Ty Lee was no longer trying to fight it, but she certainly didn't keep still. Her legs flailed at the knee, and once or twice Azula had to shove one of them out of the way to continue the procedure. Each time this happened, she made sure to hit a sharper smack so that Ty Lee would stop kicking so violently, which she eventually managed, although her lower body was now pulsing.

Azula could not see Ty Lee's face, but she had little difficulty imagining what it looked like. Her spanking was now an almost constant peppering, with a negligible amount of time between smacks. Ty Lee's response was a lot of wailing, shouts of "Ouch!" and "Ow!", and uncontrollable sobbing. Occasionally, she would scream something like, "I'm sorry!" or "I'll never disobey again, I promise!" Azula listened to these cries, but continued to swat away. Ty Lee would not be allowed to decide when this was over.

The princess kept up her agonizing pace, and the effects were starting to show; Ty Lee was constantly squirming on Azula's lap, while her sit spots were almost uniformly red, sore and warm. Azula noticed that her own hand was starting to hurt, and paused for a second to examine it. Indeed, her hand was on fire, and very red. Azula decided that a spanking would do no good if her own hand was hurt in the process, and so resolved to end the spanking shortly.

She continued for another minute or so, during which Ty Lee stopped wailing at the top of her lungs and just stayed limp in her position, letting out quiet, reserved yelps of pain with each swat but otherwise showing great restraint considering the pain she had to be in. Azula read this as a sign of ultimate compliance, and after adding a few more hard, sharp slaps for emphasis, finally ended the spanking.

"Don't do anything until I say so," Azula reminded, and Ty Lee nodded her acknowledgment.

Once again, Azula crossed her arms, but this time she wasn't considering continuing the punishment. Ty Lee had received a complete thrashing; her bottom was a uniform dark red, and Azula could see the early signs of a few bruises. She would be feeling it for at least a day. A very small part of Azula felt guilty about being so severe, but the rest was satisfied in the knowledge that she had brought Ty Lee under her control. Watching her friend quietly weeping across her knees, Azula felt a certain affection for her. Now that Azula had shown her who was boss, Ty Lee would be a nice, obedient little helper.

_And to top it all off, your bottom looks tremendously cute like this! _Azula silently told Ty Lee. There was no use lying to herself anymore. Azula had sexual feelings for Ty Lee, and the bare-bottom spanking had brought those feelings to the forefront. She once again placed her hand on Ty Lee's sitting place, though this time she was gentle and kind. She started rubbing it softly, hoping to soothe the ache. Ty Lee's crying was almost gone save for a few sniffles, so Azula's massage was at least having some of it's intended effect.

"There, there, Ty Lee," Azula comforted, half-sincerely, and contined to stroke Ty Lee's warm backside. "That wasn't so bad, was it?"

"I'm in no hurry for an encore," Ty Lee quipped, and Azula couldn't help but smile.

"You won't get one as long as you've learned that when I ask you something, it really means I'm telling you something. And you don't disobey me, do you?" Azula inquired, half-prepared to deal out another barrage of swats in case Ty Lee decided to give her lip.

"No, I won't ever disobey you again, Princess. I promise."

"That's what I wanted to hear."

"Azula?" Ty Lee seemed to be prying for information.

"Yes?" the princess humored her.

"How bad is it, really?"

Azula examined Ty Lee's backside one more time. Even with the rubbing, none of the discoloration had subsided yet.

"Well, Ty Lee, your bottom has never been pinker!" Azula joked.

"I wouldn't think so!" Ty Lee answered, surprisingly amicable. "I've never been spanked before!"

Azula pondered this for a minute. "Wait, then how did you know what I was going to do when I turned you over my knee?" she asked.

"Mai got spanked when she was little, and she told me about them," Ty Lee explained. "They sounded horrible!"

"Was it horrible?" Azula couldn't help asking.

"Very much so."

Azula once again felt the uncomfortable twinge of guilt. Not only was she getting off on touching her friend's naked butt, she was causing Ty Lee serious pain in the process. _Is there something wrong with me?_ Azula wondered, trying to picture herself in Ty Lee's shoes, and wondering how she would feel if someone pleasured themselves by slapping her backside.

"Ty Lee, lift your bottom up off my lap," Azula demanded.

The girl obeyed, and Azula grabbed Ty Lee's panties and gently pulled them up to cover her well chastised bottom. Azula did this as a favor to protect Ty Lee's modesty; there was no reason for her to have to show off her womanhood when she stood up.

"Okay, stand up," Azula said. "Your punishment is over, do what you want to make yourself feel better."

Ty Lee stood up and her hands immediately went to her backside; she started rubbing, and by the looks of it, it hurt her just to try and get relief.

"I..um...I'm..." Azula was trying to say something that was very hard for her to get out. "I-I'm sorry for spanking you so hard, Ty Lee. I think I may have overdid it a little."

"Oh, don't worry about it, Azula," Ty Lee answered, though Azula could tell she didn't entirely mean it. "There's nothing here that will last. And you were right; I forgot my place and I needed to be taught some respect. I learned it, it's over, and we can move on."

"Are you sure?" said Azula in disbelief.

"Yeah, we're okay," Ty Lee assured Azula. "Best friends forever!" And once again, Azula was tackled by Ty Lee and one of her hugs. Azula welcomed it, and held Ty Lee perhaps a little tighter than she meant to. She opened her eyes and noticed that Ty Lee's pants were still dangling from her knees, and took it upon herself to lift it up and cover her friend so that no one could see the results of what transpired.

"Ty Lee, be on my ship in half an hour, okay?" Azula ordered.

Ty Lee stood up and bowed to Azula. "Half an hour. Got it." She started to walk away.

"Good." Azula then gave Ty Lee one last hard spank before walking out of the tent.

"OWWWW!" Ty Lee howled. "Azula, you are...SO...MEAN!"


	2. Forbidden Fruit

_SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!_

"Ow. Ouch. Ooo," _Ty Lee cooed._

_SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!_

_Azula's hand came crashing down on Ty Lee's voluptuous backside, repeatedly striking the bare flesh and producing a gorgeous pink glow._

"Oh, Azula, I'll be a good girl, I promise," _she sang out, clearly not minding the vicious swats as much as any normal fourteen year-old girl would mind them._

_SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!_

"I'll never disobey again! Oh, never ever," _Ty Lee continued her mock protest. She was enjoying this every bit as much as Azula enjoyed it. She loved having her bottom touched. Azula loved to touch it._

_It was perfect. They were perfect._

_But Azula wanted to touch other body parts. She stopped smacking Ty Lee's bottom, and the girl shifted her weight so that she was facing Azula. They traded coy smiles, and Ty Lee grasped Azula's right breast. The princess moaned her approval._

"I love you Azula," _Ty Lee whispered._

"And I love you, Ty Lee," _she swooned._

_Ty Lee grabbed her hair. She closed her eyes and moved towards Azula's face, about to favor her with a taste of those luscious, magnificent lips. Azula opened her mouth to greet it, and closed her eyes so she could fully experience the sensations..._

She woke up.

Another night, another wonderful dream, another missed kiss. It had been the third night in a row that Azula's dreams were solely occupied with fantasies of Ty Lee, her best friend. But ever since she had given her that spanking, which wasn't nearly as consensual or pleasurable as the ones that played in her head as she slept, it was becoming impossible to think of Ty Lee as just her best friend.

The princess had always been fond of Ty Lee, though this often manifested itself in jealously. She was so pretty, and funny, and happy, and talented, and sensuous. Azula certainly didn't lack in the looks department; she had caught a few of the younger guards checking out her bottom as she walked past. Doing this to the Fire Princess was a crime punishable by death, but Azula always let it go; she loved the attention. But Ty Lee was an entirely different kind of attractive. Boys didn't just casually size her up, their eyes feasted on her, and they would whistle and talk about the dirty things they would do with her if she gave them a chance.

Before, Azula would have growled and stewed in jealousy, but now, she found herself sharing the boys' thoughts. She wanted to kiss Ty Lee, longed to squeeze her breasts, dreamed of seeing her naked, fantasized about exploring her body with her tongue. Such thoughts were not encouraged; girls were supposed to marry boys and produce children. It wasn't unheard of for same sex couples to exist, but they were treated with an uneasy tolerance. It was deemed unnatural, and homosexuals were considered to be freaks.

Indeed, Azula had considered such a thing to be bizarre. She had never been an overly sexual girl to begin with, but on the rare occasions where she indulged her libido, she always fantasized about men. But after touching Ty Lee, after seeing her beautiful bare bottom, the fantasies were running wild. Azula couldn't control it; whenever Ty Lee would pass her on the ship, Azula's eyes would follow after her and her heart would skip beats. The last couple of nights, the princess had woken up to find herself in a hot sweat and on the verge of orgasm. She would feel guilty and try to repress the thoughts, but that just made them more persistent.

Once again, Azula found herself in this situation, her breasts jutting into her night-gown, her womanhood moist and warm, her hair in a wild, sweaty mess. She stood out of her bed and went to her vanity table, combing her hair until it was straightened out.

As she combed, her mind drifted back to the dream. It was always the same one; Azula would be spanking Ty Lee, just as she had in the tent. But then she would stop, and Ty Lee would face her and they would come so close to kissing, only for Azula to wake up. There was just one problem; that reaction was nothing like how Ty Lee reacted to the real spanking. In fantasy, it turned her on just as it turned Azula on; it was foreplay for what would be a long make-out session. In reality, she had been crying, kicking, and screaming as Azula blistered her posterior, leaving it dark crimson with welts.

More than the guilt over her culturally unaccepted feelings for Ty Lee, Azula felt guilt over causing Ty Lee such physical pain. The guilt had stabbed her minutes after the spanking, but as the days went by it consumed her almost as much as the fantasies. It was driving Azula insane.

There was no use. She would have to apologize to Ty Lee. Beg for forgiveness. Perhaps let Ty Lee give her a spanking in return. Azula was unsure if that last thought was repentance on her part, or wishful thinking. If she imagined Ty Lee getting turned on by being spanked, perhaps she would find it exciting. It would certainly be a new experience; none dared punish the Fire Princess.

So she left her room, walking by patrols who guarded the halls of her ship. Soon, she would be abandoning it; they were heading to Omashu to pick up Azula's other close friend, Mai. She was on a mission to bring her traitorous brother and uncle to justice. Mai definitely wouldn't need the convincing that Ty Lee had required; she was probably dying for the opportunity to do something.

The princess found the door to the guest room that served as Ty Lee's quarters. Taking a deep breath, Azula gathered her resolve, and knocked.

"Who's there?" Ty Lee's cheerful voice called through the metal door.

Azula gasped, and fought back a sudden urge to run away to her room. Simply hearing that magnificent voice had caused her heart to skip a beat, and she had to catch her breath before she could answer.

"It's Azula," she shouted nervously and unnecessarily loudly.

"Oh, hi!" she greeted cheerfully. "Give me just a second, I'm changing!"

The princess once more found her imagination running wild, picturing Ty Lee slipping in and out of her clothes, though in a much more provocative manner than any girl would ever dress or undress. Thoughts of Ty Lee's bare, well-spanked bottom, as well as her shapely, strong legs rushed through her mind, tempting her lascivious desire to touch Ty Lee again.

Suddenly, the door opened, and Azula snapped back into reality, where the very real Ty Lee stood in front of her. Azula could only stare at her. She was wearing a pink shawl that rested on her breasts, and the only other covering for those was a red bra. Covering her lower parts was a pink skirt that did not cover Ty Lee's right thigh, and Azula could see the matching red panties peeking out. Once again, the princess was completely flustered by how sensual Ty Lee was without even trying.

"So, do you like the outfit?" Ty Lee asked, in a tone that made Azula suspicious that she was aware of Azula's gawking and why she couldn't help it.

"Yes, I do," she quickly answered. "You look stunning!"

"Aw, thanks Azula," sighed Ty Lee, and she hugged Azula unexpectedly. The princess tensed up, shocked at the touch and overcome by the pleasure she felt. Just like in her daydreams, exactly like the actual spanking, she could feel her nipples harden and an exhilarating ache between her legs. It wasn't just her mind that longed to touch Ty Lee; her body was naturally preparing for erotic stimulation.

"I love this outfit, but I never wear it in public," Ty Lee said, breaking the hug and then spinning around for Azula to get an eyeful. "It just shows me off too much. Imagine what boys would think!"

The princess had her eyes glued to Ty Lee's bouncing posterior as she walked back to her bed. When she turned around, Azula pretended to be looking in the mirror, and realized she should answer.

"Oh yes, boys would get hot and bothered if they saw you in that," she agreed. "And probably a few girls, too!"

Ty Lee tilted her head in a befuddled way, and Azula wished she could be invisible. It also took all of her strength not to cover her mouth; if she looked like she regretted saying it, she would look so guilty that anyone could realize the sort of lustful thoughts that were spinning in her head.

"Yes, I suppose some girls, too," Ty Lee said, shaking her head. Then she reclined on her bed and started to stretch her legs, one at a time, and Azula couldn't help but picture herself next to Ty Lee, exploring her body as she lifted those beautiful legs. She was giving the princess an unintentional strip tease, and Azula fought dueling urges to fondle her and to run away.

"So, why did you want to see me?" Ty Lee asked.

Her mind went blank. She knew that she had made an excuse to come see her, but for the life of her she could not remember. Fighting off the distraction that Ty Lee was providing, Azula went through her mind until the thought came to her, and when she finally remembered it came out in a nervous, excited shout that made Azula feel very insecure.

"I wanted to apologize."

Ty Lee snorted, and then started giggling. "You, apologize? For what?"

"For spanking you," she clarified.

She stopped laughing and seemed to ponder whether Azula was completely sincere. In truth, Azula would spank Ty Lee again in a heartbeat, just to feel her smooth bottom cheeks grow warm under her hand. But then, she was sorry for hurting Ty Lee, and with her feelings growing stronger by the second, she felt terrible for causing such pain.

"Please say you forgive me," Azula prodded, trying hard not to sound like she was begging.

"Azula, it's no big deal," Ty Lee brushed her off, and it appeared that she didn't want to think about the incident any longer.

"But it is a big deal!" Azula yelled desperately. "I, I hurt you! You were crying! I know I was awful to you!"

Ty Lee winced, obviously remembering every slap on her bottom and the accompanying sting, but she remained stoic as she looked at Azula. "I deserved that spanking. I was out of line and needed to be disciplined," she recited.

"But I wasn't really disciplining you!" Azula corrected. Which wasn't entirely true; it had started and even ended that way, but the sexual undertones were all she could remember, all she wanted to remember. Discipline Ty Lee? Beautiful, wonderful Ty Lee? She couldn't dream of it!

"What do you mean?" Ty Lee asked in disbelief. "Of course you were disciplining me."

Azula could barely stand the tension. Here she was, on the verge of spilling her secret, exposing her shame. Ty Lee would learn of Azula's feelings, she would know why she had been so thoroughly spanked, why Azula had bared her backside and massaged the blistering cheeks afterward. Could Ty Lee handle the fact that Azula had exploited her for sexual gratification? Would she forgive? Would she embrace Azula's taboo feelings? And if she did, would she reciprocate, or merely understand?

So many questions. Not enough answers.

She was a great liar. But not tonight. Too much was at stake.

"I...had...ulterior motives. For spanking you," Azula stammered, hoping Ty Lee would get the gist of what she meant without her speaking her feelings plainly.

"Ulterior motives? What ulterior motives?" she asked, clearly confused.

_It's time to just come out and say it. _"Like a convenient excuse to touch your bottom," she admitted.

Ty Lee's eyes went wide as saucers and her lips thinned, but she said nothing.

Azula knew she had to go all in. "Which looks even cuter when it's red and pink."

She looked at Ty Lee, the world's most wonderful, most beautiful girl. Her best friend. The girl she dreamed about at night, the only one who had captured her wild heart. Ty Lee held the power to break that heart right now, or to make Azula truly, completely happy.

Yet she said nothing. She simply sat still, clearly deep in thought, unsure of how she felt about this.

Finally, she spoke. Her eyes narrowed and her head tilted. "Azula, are you hitting on me?" she asked in a slow, purposeful whisper.

Azula winced at her straight-forward question. Her hands tightened into nervous fists, and she found she could not look Ty Lee in the eyes. Finally, she bowed her head in an uncharacteristic sign of submission, and forced out the word that was dying to escape, but that she was terrified to say.

"Yes."

The princess covered her face with her hands, too horrified to look at her. She knew Ty Lee was going to reject her, she just knew it. They wouldn't be friends anymore; she probably wouldn't even speak to her again. And it was all Azula's fault, her stupid fault for falling in love. A few tears escaped her eyes and slid down her cheeks.

Several moments passed, and neither girl said anything. Azula expected Ty Lee to start shouting at her, calling her sick and twisted. But there was nothing but silence. Still terrified, she moved her hands away and looked. Ty Lee was still sitting, but was now staring at her intently. The princess felt like an animal in a zoo, on display for the world to see how strange and bizarre she was. She could not read Ty Lee's intentions. She looked angry, but unsure of what to do with her.

Mortified and wishing to hide away and cry, Azula stepped closer to the door, but kept her eyes straight ahead. "I'll just...go, now," she managed to say weakly, and started to turn the handle.

Just then, Ty Lee stood up, and walked towards her in slow, measured strides. Her eyes were focused on Azula's and the princess found herself unable to avoid her gaze. She was paralyzed by fear, and felt certain that Ty Lee was going to slap her across the face. Azula would allow her to do so; she deserved it.

The acrobat stopped, and looked ever so slightly up towards Azula's shaking face. Her eyes closed, and the princess felt deep shame at her indecent admission that she saw Ty Lee as someone to flirt with and to touch sexually. It just wasn't done, but she could not change her feelings.

Suddenly, Ty Lee embraced Azula in a warm, comforting hug. Azula could not bring herself to reciprocate; she gasped at Ty Lee's sign of acceptance, and found that she could not hold tears back. She leaned her head into Ty Lee's shoulder, and sobbed as Ty Lee held her ever more tightly. The proud, composed facade that Azula usually wore was nowhere to be found. Here she was weak and vulnerable, scared and ashamed. It was unbecoming of a princess, but that didn't matter. Nothing mattered now, except for Ty Lee's arms holding her close.

"I'm sorry, Ty Lee," she cried.

"Don't be," she whispered into her ear. Azula could hear that Ty Lee was trying to be comforting and reassuring, but it only made her feel worse.

"I'm glad you told me," she continued. "I needed to know. You're very brave."

The last bit of Azula's resistance shattered. She grabbed Ty Lee in a desperate hug, unable to support herself. Tears flowed freely from her eyes, soaking the girl's shirt. They were accompanied by loud, heavy sobs as Azula broke down in her would-be lover's arms. Ty Lee responded by supporting her weight and holding Azula close. Her left hand was in Azula's hair, rubbing it soothingly. As the princess wept, she could hear Ty Lee gently hushing her cries.

"What you must think of me," she lamented.

"What I think of you," Ty Lee said in a sweet tone, "is that you aren't nearly as pretty as usual when you are crying like a little girl. It doesn't suit you."

Azula stopped crying abruptly. Hardly daring to believe her ears, she wondered if Ty Lee was returning her advances, or merely passing a friendly compliment. She lifted her head and looked into Ty Lee's eyes. They had lost the sharp edge they had held minutes before, but none of their intensity.

"You think I'm pretty?" the princess asked tentatively.

Ty Lee smiled broadly, and her eyes narrowed. Her right hand moved from the princess' back and she placed it on her cheek. Azula was sure there was nothing more beautiful in all the world than the smiling face of Ty Lee, and for a moment, she thought she might die.

"You're the prettiest girl in the whole world," she said in a sultry whisper. Her voice was deliberately seductive, and it worked. Azula longed to press her lips to Ty Lee's, but was still too terrified to make a move. Indeed, she couldn't help thinking that she was in another daydream.

Ty Lee leaned towards Azula's face, and her hands gently brought her head closer. Azula's lips trembled as she was pulled towards the girl of her dreams. Ty Lee's eyes shut slowly, and as they closed her lips parted. Knowing she was about to wake up, Azula shut her eyes and longed to remember this wonderful moment.

Then she felt smooth, wet skin press against her lips, and felt all of the air leave her mouth in a rush.

She wasn't dreaming. No dream could possibly be this perfect.

Ty Lee was kissing her.


End file.
